Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Thomson has a receding hairline, he may have a beard, and his hair was shoulder-length at the time of his disappearance. His eyes may appear green. He has fractured his right arm and has a scar on his right elbow. He sustained injuries in a car accident in 1964; as a result, Thomson's left leg is three-eighths of an inch shorter than his right leg, and his left arm was foreshortened when his left shoulder shattered. His nickname is Chris and he may go by his middle name, Bird.

Clothing/Jewelry Description: A flannel work shirt, blue jeans and a ying-yang necklace.

Medical Conditions: Thomson suffers from scoliosis, and his brother stated he was suffering from depression and mild delusions at the time of his 1979 disappearance. He is classified as disabled.

Details of Disappearance

Thomson was last seen standing by Highway 7 and Williston Road in Minnetoka, Minnesota on July 1, 1979. He was carrying a backpack, but had no other belongings with him. Later that year, he is known to have worked for very brief periods; his last known employers were Lewmont Drilling Associates in Denver, Colorado and Maverick Construction in Casper, Wyoming. There's no record of the exact dates of his employment, and there's been no sign of him since 1979.

Thomson worked as a writer and journalist and lived in various European countries prior to his disappearance. He wrote a book called In the Shining Mountains: A Would-be Mountain Man in Search of Wilderness; it was published the same year he went missing. The book is about a man who seeks to live like an old-fashioned mountain man, but finds his dream intruded upon by modern society. Thomson's loved ones believe he may have simply wanted to drop out of society and live off the land like the character in his book.

Texas authorities are assisting with Thomson's investigation.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Minnetonka Police Department
952-939-8500ORTexas Department of Public Safety
800-346-3243